SOUTHPORT, England — The first two days of the British Open are a test of attrition. Round begins at 6:35 in the morning and end around 10 in the evening, requiring patience and perseverance for the 156 players trying to figure out the best way to tame the links.
As those who didn’t figure it out go home disappointed after 36 holes, those who did now face a different test on the weekend. The claret jug is more clearly visible, the potential of grabbing hold of it more tangible. Toss in the reality that this is the last men’s major of the year, and the finality of it all starts to sink in.
So who steps up to seize the moment? Lucas Herbert (-8) and Jackson Suber (-6) are the surprising twosome in the final pairing of Saturday’s third round. Herbert, a 30-year-old Aussie competing on the LIV Golf circuit, will have a night to sleep on his impressive 62 and reset from the mild disappointing that it wasn’t even lower. Suber, a 26-year-old American who had never played a round of golf on a links course before this week, will continue putting to the test the notion that ignorance is bliss.
Behind them are an assortment of players, a handful with major titles to their credit (Francesco Molinari, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy) and several about to learn on the fly what it feels like to contend in a major championship.
Saturday’s third-round tee times will be released after the second round concludes Friday and an official cut is made. The projection is that the number will be one-over 141 with the low 70 and ties advancing through to the weekend.
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Is it the British Open or the Open Championship? The name of the final men’s major of the golf season is a subject of continued discussion. The event’s official name, as explained in this op-ed by former R&A chairman Ian Pattinson, is the Open Championship. But since many United States golf fans continue to refer to it as the British Open, and search news around the event accordingly, Golf Digest continues to utilize both names in its coverage.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
